THE WAY WE LIVE (TRACTOR) A Candle For Judith RARE ORIG

	£		256
	$		339

ONEADAYRECORDS – Delivering Quality Music to the World.

Please see my Detailed Packing Description Further Down & All Shipping Costs and Options – NOTE: I now apply the Ebay ‘4-day’ rule for non-payment.

Artist or Band: THE WAY WE LIVE (later, TRACTOR)

Album Title: A Candle for Judith.

Producer(s): John Brierly.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: King Dick II, Squares, Siderial, Angle, Storm.

Side 2: Willow, Madrigal, The Way Ahead.

Label/Format: Dandelion – original format (Please see my label scans).

Label Conditions: Both very clean, fresh and attractive with barely any spindle marks at all on side one and only only a small few on side two. These fairly thick but being a white label, they show little and no ink has been removed or scuffed.

Cat Number: DAN 8004 (this copy has the correct first number on labels and cover).

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Warps: Assume all records I offer have no warping of any significance and all tracking is easy and effortless and should play on all turntables and even ‘budget’ decks.

Weight of this Record: 150 grams. A very good weight for any record.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: Rare: and much rarer than the out-of-touch price guides suggest. Regarded by many as the rarest album on this very collectable label, this is seldom seen or offered and actually, this is my first ever copy.

Original Year of Release: 1971

Matrix Nos: DAN-8004-A1 / DAN-8004-B1

Musicians: Jim Milne - guitar, vocals; Steve Clayton - drums.

Brief Info: One of the ‘lost’ treasures of the early 70s and arguably the very best album to adorn the small independent label of John Peel. An incredible recording made by two Englishmen, this sounds more like a small band and is a classic case of less sounding more. Recorded in producer John Brierly’s bedroom in Rochdale on two tape recorders, this simply blew away the crew at Dandelion Records. Milne and Clayton played a blend of psych-prog and can lay claim to being pretty unique. Milne a guitarist of considerable skill and his talent shines throughout this legendary recording. Very well received but alas, doomed to obscurity with very few sales. The album title was for Clayton’s girlfriend and later wife – the duo became slightly better known when they changed their name to ‘Tractor’. Under this new name, they issued the self-titled blistering follow-up that faired little better. Both titles are rare and both brilliant, it’s no small wonder both are in such high demand. This copy looks little played, but the original owner was clearly heavy-handed and put three scuffs on side two. The irony is, these have NO sound at all, but a tiny fine mark on side one does emit several clicks. They are relatively brief mostly at the beginning of ‘Siderial’ with four at the very end of the previous song as well. These apart, the record plays superbly with little else unwanted. So not a perfect copy but still a very strong one – not for the absolute sound purist, but sometimes rarity dictates, and there is no way I was going to let this superb and elusive album pass. The cover is in super condition and includes the first DAN 8004 number making this a very first pressing. A rare opportunity to own this mini classic and all the positives outweigh any of the brief sound blemishes.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT(++): an unlaminated gatefold format with matt, smooth surfaces. Printed and made in England by Garrod & Lofthouse with ‘Patents Pending’ text.

Cover Front: Clean, fresh and very attractive indeed with barely any hint of wear and any surface marks tiny, few and faint. Hardly a crease to be seen and this front will prove immensely difficult to find better.

Cover Back: A light surface crease near the top edge but little else and all looks pretty much the same as the front without any ringwear that often blights these types.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Little short of Mint as made.

Top Edges: Any rub traces are tiny and faint, both remain very straight.

Bottom Edges: Practically the same again.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean, sharp with barely any wear, feathering and guaranteed untrimmed. Record enters on the back edge.

Spine and Text: Again impressive with few traces of wear, ageing or discolouration. Solid, straight, uncompressed and folded square, the edges meet up perfectly together and parallel. All text is perfect and unworn.

Corners: Light tip rubs only, even less on the spine pair. All retain excellent or better shape.

Cover Summary: A very strong all-round example of this rare and wear-prone early 70’s cover, one that will prove very difficult to find better – finding it at all is challenging enough in it’s own right. This very clean and impressive example should please most-all collectors.

The Inner Sleeve: EXCELLENT(++): a plain solid white unlined inner that has aged little. Clean with few creases and any discolouration light and very mild. All edges unsplit with no repairs.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: Putting a grading on this record is very difficult: minus the scuffs on side two, I could not hesitate too long before putting an EXCELLENT(++) grading on, what appears to be a very little played record. I would feel very confident and sure, this has been played no more than once or twice, but somewhat heavy-handely on the evidence. As stated above, these moderate scuffs, that do not look pretty, have NO sound at all. Only a super-fine small mark on side one omits some clicks, fairly briefly only, the culprit barely even visible. An average grading of NEAR EXCELLENT is probably appropriate, but this a slightly subjective grading. Still a very clean and mainly impressive visual copy with a super shine, intense black and very solidly pressed. Any other marks are very fine and faint as seen under angled light. Not for the highly discerning collector, but as stated, sometimes rarety has to be taken into consideration and a little compromise has to be given. Not seen often enough to pick and choose it could be argued and this is still an impressive example. But a slight shame the probably initial play could not have been made with a little more care and attention. I doubt if this record has seen light of day since.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or minuscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: This magnificent album plays for the most part up to the highest level but does have those fairly brief clicks on side two. Several clicks and a couple of ‘doubles’, but not lasting long and then with little else bar the odd sporadic one here and there. The really visible scuffs on side two ironically are pretty much ignored and this side has little to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is very high with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound and this is a masterclass in production from very limited sources. Any surface sounds are minimal and overall, an exceptional clean pressing. The blemishes present are inflicted and have nothing to do with the quality of manufacture. So not perfect, but still an impressive listen, not for the sound perfectionist with enough to remind how fragile old records are if not treated with the great respect they need to last into five (or more) decades. Apart from the clicks mentioned, little else spoilt my immense pleasure from what I consider to be a mini-classic. With so few originals around, worthy of consideration for sure with cautious recommendation ot the more sensitive listener. Many collectors will treasure this supreme ‘lost’ prog masterwork without doubt. Judith herself would surely approve? – but if you have doubts yourself – well maybe better to wait for the ‘perfect’ copy (no matter what the cost could be).

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional VPI-17 vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too. Pictures taken with a Nikon D5000 SLR Digital Camera.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my new VPI-17 Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional boxes (NOT Mailers, these do not offer any real protection). The record(s) are REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with at least TWO, ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. When larger boxes are used, the thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. The boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffeners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 7,000+ items sold in nearly 10 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffeners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FIVE records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: Please as me first.

PLEASE NOTE: I now exercise my right to open a dispute after the Ebay rule of FOUR days if no payment is received. I will then cancel the dispute to end the, again after the mandatory FOUR days and then offer the item to the runner-up or relist. The non-payer will also be blocked from my Ebay site and they take the Ebay consequences (a strike or removal from the system). Small businesses need prompt payment to trade and these strict rules WILL be applied.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £10. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3). Add £3 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); South America; New Zealand; Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£46 maximum]) = £14. Add £4 per extra LP. (Royal Mail insurance is an optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: I will cancel any bids I feel are time-wasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT necessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.